Monday, February 29, 2016

Not many of us know that Enakashi Bhavnani ( Enakshi Rama Rao before her marriage ) has done an enormous
service to expose Indian dances and Designs to West. No lesser is her
contribution to expose Kashmir Crafts and Designs ( Fabric , Wood and Papier
Mache ) to west. I was told by an American Tourist in Kerala recently about her
detailed work on kashmir Designs ( shawls , Jackets , Namdas and carpets etc )
. I was ignorant about this side of Enakshi's personality and work. I knew her
contribution as a Dancer, photographer and actress only.Two scholarly Books
written by Enakshi Bhavnani were also made known to me . Both the books are
preserved in American Museum of Natural History.These are ..

(1)
Folk And Tribal Designs of India

(2)
The Dance of India: The Origin and History Foundation, Art and Science of the
Dance in India .

I was told that this exceptionally talented woman stayed in
kashmir for sometime in 1950 and met
cross section of people connected with Arts and Crafts . She had been a visitor thereafter as well . She also visited
Leh and kargil for her Book. During this period she also clicked some
photographs in kashmir portraying its rich culture and scenic beauty.She also
shot a Documentary “ VALE OF KASHMIR “ during this period..

Enakshi was an active member of the Crafts Council of India,
which was founded in 1964 to support artisans and keep their crafts relevant
and marketable amid rapidly changing economies at home and abroad..

And in her book on folk dances of India , Enakshi covers all
forms of kashmirian folk dances .

Enakshi married film maker Mohan Bhavnanai ( 1903-1962 ) who was
trained in Germany and Hollywood. She was a dancer , Actor , Photographer
and writer on Arts , Crafts and
culture. From 1939 to 1938,She acted in six films as a leading lady . Out of
these six films five ( Vasantsena ,
Trapped ,Jagaran , Himalaya ki Beti and
Yungrilla ) were directed by her husband Mohan Bhavnani . Only Shiraz ( 1929
Produced by Himanshu Roy ) was directed by Franz Osten .

( Enakshi in 1929 movie Shiraz )

The Photographs clicked by her have also appeared in National Geographic
Magazine especially her series" A Journey to Little Tibbet 1951”

In
February 1952, A team of Five top Turkish journalists were on a seven-week All-India tour, to study India's Educational , Industrial and Agricultural projects, as guests of the Government
. The members of the delegation
were some renowned Editors /writers /Journalists that included Mr. Refii Cevat
Ulunay , Dogan Nadi, Madam Adviye Fenik, Dr. Ahmet Sukru Esmer ( Ankara Columnist ) and Mr. Ahmet
Yemin Ualman( Editor Istambul Daily ) .This delegation visited many places in India including Agra ,
Jaipur and Bhakhra Nangal .

In delhi , this
delegation also visited Kashmir Government Arts emporium where Khwaja
Ahsaan-ulaah the then resident commissioner played a host and gave them details
about Handicrafts of kashmir. The delegation made good purchase of shawls ,
Papier mache and walnut wood carving items.

Sh Zutshi took this
delegation upto 7th bridge in downtown in shikaras . They also called upon Dr
Karan Singh , Sheikh Mohd Abdullah .

Madam Fenik met Begum
Abdullah at her official residence. She was seen wearing a kashmiri Pheran
during her visit to Mughal Gardens. The state Hospitality Department also
organized a Grand Wazwan for the Guests . They also did second round of
shopping at Government Arts emporium srinagar

.Dr Ahmet Sukur Esmer
Journalist and a scholar is reported to have told J N Zutshi;

“ This is like our
Turkey. Seasons , fruits , water , Birds and Walnut Trees . The people look so
close to us . I will have to dig some links “

REFII CEVAT ULUNAY ( 1890-1968 ) was also a member
of this delegation. He was Brilliant journalist associated with Turkish
Nationalist Struggle. He lived in exile from 1922 to 1938.He also wrote Novels and critical essays on Turkish music and cinema . A lover of India , he was liberal and known
for his progressive outlook. . His books
include.. Slaves (1945), Between Debris (1945), No. Storms (1958), King of the
Mountains (1963), and The Glory Land of India (1962).

Another journalist in
this team was Dogan Nadi ( 1913-1969 ). Educated in switzerland , he edited the
popular Turkish newspaper “CEMHURIET “ that was started by his father Yunus
Nadi (1880-1945 ) in 1924. His Brother Nadir Nadi was also a well known
Journalist from Turkey.

Madam
Adviye Fenik, a reputed Ankara based
columnist had come to study feminine trends in India.

“Remaining at a little
distance from what is truth or moving a little away from it is simple falsehood
as we understand. Truth is a spot ,certain and fixed. You can neither be
proximal nor distal to it.But ordinarily , all of us do it and remain either
nearby or a little away from Truth.. That possibly is simple to handle. To be
on dot and spot is not so simple as to be near by or a little away from it.

People feel truth is a
longer road full of unknown complications while falsehood is a shortcut with
manageable obstacles . Truth has no technique while lying is a skill. Truth
is" as is where is " while falsehood is " How it should be and
where it should be".Truth is naked while falsehood is dressed up. And
Human mind tends to dress up every presentation.

A lie may create a dazzle
of bright light and truth may , at times , put darkness all around momentarily.Truth
needs patience . It takes time to appear . It is a little slower. But rest assured
, once it is out , it dispels the even
the last and the smallest spot of darkness and shade .

Are we impatient while dealing with the truth ?Are we perfecting the art of lying in every field ?”

L ATIFAH HERAWATI DIAH Renowned Journalist from Indonesia visited kashmir in March 1954. She was on a visit to
India as Head of an Indonesian Delegation of Journalists .This delegation
visited many places in India apart from Agra, Jaipur and Bhakhra Nangal. The delegation met Prime
Minister jawahar Lal Nehru , President
of India , Parliament members .This
delegation also visited kashmir thereafter .

It ws
springtime in kashmir when the
delegation arrived .They visited
Gulmarg, Pahalghaam , Mughal
Gardens and Dal lake . They also met Sadar e Riyasat Dr karan Singh and Prime Minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohd . The
members of this dlegation took keen interest in Kashmir handicrafts . Herawati
Diah is reported to have purchsed some
shawls and Papier Mache items from Government Arts Emporium.

WHO IS HERAWATI DIAH ?

Born in an affluent
family of Java, she was educated in Japan and USA. She has been a Freedom
fighter and a nationalist revered and held in high esteem not in Indonesia only
but in entire south east Asia.She has personally known every Indonesian
president, Queen Elizabeth, Franklin D. Roosevelt , Henry Kissinger , Gamal
Abdel Nasser , Jawahar Lal Nehru and some more world leaders . Her husband B M
Diah journalist and later a Senior Bureaucrat in Indonesian Foreign
service who served as Ambassador to
several countries in Europe .

Herawati once consulted
Gandhi ji on Indonesia’s fight for freedom, and he said,

“When you truly believe
it will succeed, then it will surely succeed."

To know more about her ,
Read her Book “ An Endless Journey: Reflections of an Indonesian Journalist.”

It was Herawati who led a
strong movement to guard her homeland’s culture. She took her case to UNESCO
and got Borobudur Temple ( Java ) and many other sites in Indonesia declared as
UNESCO World Heritage monuments .

( Latest Photograph of Herawati Diah )

She is 98 plus but still
active and alert. Even at this advanced age ,she remembers :

Sunday, February 21, 2016

REST IN PEACE NIDA FAZILI Nida Fazili ( Born 1938 at Delhi ) is no more..He was among a few surviving masters
in Urdu poetry who retained the core charm and tradition in his kalaam. He was
comfortable with Hindi as well. He wrote Dohas, Gazals, Nazms and Geet.Whatever
he wrote , it touched you. It had charm, thought and tradition.

A couple of years back ,met him at Dehradun where he had come
to participate in ONGC sponsored Annual VIRAASAT event.He expressed a desire to
live in hills .

" living in hills changes your outlook to life. It gives
you the much needed slow down at some age. You are at least living some moments
of your choice.In metros ,you are just compromising with life round the
clock."

My friend Prof Liaqat Jafri interviewed him in Mumbai for his
magazine.He touched this question as well. He can add more.

Rest in peace Nida Fazili..your poetry touched hearts and
gave every person great moments of happiness..

Yes living remains a compromise..

Raat andheri bho'r sunehari yehi zamaana hai,

Har Tchaadar mein dukh ka taana sukh ka baa'na hai,

Aati saans ko paa'na jaati saans ko khonaa hai..

Jeevan kyaa hai Chaltaa phirtaa eik khilona hai..

On 8th Feb 2016, he died of a massive heart attack in his house at Mumbai.

(Autar Mota)

REST IN PEACE ZUBAIR RIZVI ..Zubair Rizvi ( Born 1935 at Amroha ) was finest
among Modern Urdu Poets of the country. He served All India Radio for about 30
years . He also served at AIR Srinagar for some years where he worked as Assistant Station Director during the period when K K Nayyar headed the Station. From Srinagar , he moved as Station Director AIR Rampur. For two years,
he served as secretary of Delhi Urdu Academy.

On 20th Feb 2016, he suffered a massive and
fatal heart attack while addressing a seminar at Delhi Urdu Academy .

His Gazals and poetry had a refreshing
fragrance and modernity. He remained a heart throb of the Mushaira that he
attended.

some couplets of this poet that come to my mind
at the moment are ..

(1)

Beetay huve lamhon ki khushboo hai meray ghar
mein,

Book Rack pe rakhay hain yaadon ke kayee
Album..

(2)

Duur tak koyee na Aaya unn ruto'n ko Chhorrne,

Baadalon ko Jo Dhanak ki churriyaan pehnaa
gayeen.

(3)

Apni zaat ke saare khufiyaa rastey uss par khol
diye,

Jaane kis Aalam mein uss ne haal hamaara
poochha hai..

(4)

Shahar ke dukh ka mudaava Dhoond lo charaagaro,

Iss se pehlay log deewarein siyaah karney
lagein.

(5)

Chamakati dhuup tum apane hi daaman mein na
bhar lenaa,

me saari raat peidon ki tarah baarish mein
bheega huun...

bichhad ke tum se maine bhi koyee saathi nahin
Dhoonda,

hujuum-e-rah_guzar mein. duur tak dekho akelaa
huun.....

( Zubair Rizvi)

Single handedly, he also edited the
much-admired Urdu magazine, 'Zehn-e-Jadid'.He has tried his hand at all genres
of urdu poetry.

I happened to know him while he was in srinagar
. He would come to bank for some private work or drop in sometime casually. His wife Jamshed Jahaan was also an accomplished announcer at Urdu service of AIR. He would sit ,
have a cup of tea and talk about Art and literature. In fact Zubair Rizvi had
recommended English Writer Virginia Woolf to me . He had many friends and
admirers in kashmir.

RIP Zubair Rizvi.You shall be always missed… I
add his poem to this small tribute…

He is Vijay Malla . Born at Malik Angan Fateh Kadal in Srinagar
city , Malla has devoted his entire life to Theatre and more specifically to J&K chapter of IPTA.

“
Autar Ji , I am a law Graduate of 1973. My family came to Jammu in 1950. The
inspiration to work in Theatre came from my elder brother S K Malla who worked
in Rajya Sabha New Delhi . He was connected with Theatre for more than 50 years
.I believe it was 1965 when i did my first play. I have written ,directed and
acted in so many plays that I myself do not know the exact number .Starting from
Radio dramas in 1970, I have come down to Monday Theatre ( Nukkad ) . This
journey has been fascinating , satisfying and inspiring.Money never remained my
aim. I wanted to learn and pass on whatsoever I learnt.

Initially
, C Parwana and Vaishno Bhardwaj ( Radio kashmir jammu ) were my Gurus . They
taught me the skill of writing Radio Dramas and plays for Theatre. Both were
real masters at that point of time.This is possibly a period around 1970. And
then came Kavi Rattan sharma from NSD. He was my second teacher .Later I
associated with Parveen kesar and Raman Kesar who organized IPTA in Jammu , may
be around 1974. I have also observed
some Great performers live and that has
helped me a lot in learning naunces of
stage acting . Among these great performers/Theatre Artists I include Shambu Mitra , A K Hangal and Habib Tanveer “

“
Let me add more . I scripted a play “GORI MAA KE KAALE BACHAY “. It won 13
awards in Drama Festival. I had directed the play. It had 38 actors . I also
won Best Director award.I also scripted a play “NA KHUDA HI MILAA NA VISAALE
SANAM “ for Theatre festival . A play on Swami Vivekananda titled “ SAB KE
SWAMI JI “ was also well received. A Play on BEGUM AKHTAR titled MALIKAA E
TARRANUM BEGUM AKHTAR was scripted and directed by me for Theatre Festival.I
also scripted and directed “ AIRRAY GAIRRAY NATHU KHAIRRAY “ for Dehradun
Theatre Festival. It was also well received by the audience. I must have acted
in more than 40 Radio plays .I have also written about 10 features for AIR
apart from scripting about 10 Radio Dramas . My Radio Drama “Honey Moon” was
quite Poplular .Where can we get those talented Radio Drama writers like Puhker
Nath BA? That class is nowhere to be seen now . There can be no other Veer
Saxsena in AIR. I learnt a lot from him .I scripted two Features for DD titled
BABA CHAMLIYAAL ( Based on life story of this great saint and healer revered in
India and pakistan. His shrine is on Indo Pak Border near Ramgarh In Jammu) and
SHAHDARA SHARIF ZIYARAT OF RAJOURI. These features are like archival records .
I had to do a lot of research work for these features. For DD kashir , I have
scripted an urdu Tele serial TAMANNA . I have also acted in some TV serials
produced by DD srinagar . SHAHAR NA PRETCHHAN, HAA’R TA TO’TAA, VARAQ AND
VYAATH OF Ravi Raaz come to my mind at the moment. I scripted a kashmiri play
MOOLAN DROA'T TA PATARRUN SU’G for SHUHUL TAAF Drama festival held in Delhi
last year. “

"
You are right .Many people confuse me with Singer Vijay Malla. He was younger
to me. A friend .Loved him like my younger brother. Very talented. A real
carefree and mastaana type Artist.I remember how Beautifully he sang
"Maayoos na ho Aey meray wattan" when we held IPTA convention in January
2012 at Jammu .We had invited Balkaar Sidhu a thespian IPTA stalwart of Punjab.
Even Balkaar was moved.Miss him. I was with him the day he died. And my family
received 100 calls from friends all over India next day. Everyone thought I was
no more."

Malla
won the prestigious Cultural Academy Theatre Festival award in 1973 for his
play” Tumhaare Chehare “. He scripted the play and it was directed by Upinder
Khashu . He won the lead actor award for this play as well .

Malla
has scripted and acted in more than 180 NUKKAD plays on various subjects
including National Integration. More than 20 Tele serials have been scripted by
him . Fluent in Dogri and Punjabi, he does not remember how many plays he has
scripted for mainstream Theatre.

He
has acted in more than 30 Tele serials and Feature films / Documentaries latest
being Ravi Kemu’s “Hamaare Gaaon Koyee Aayega” .

And
for his work in Theatre , Govt of India honoured him with a senior Fellowship
award in2009 . This fellowship is awarded to 12 eminent persons all over the country
every year. And for this fellowship , he wrote a wonderful research based book
( 475 Pages ) on ancient Ramleela in Duggar Hills ( Hindi.. Duggar Ki Pracheen
Ram Leela ). The Book has been published by Govt of India .

(Vijay Malla in
action )

Since 1990, He is president of IPTA J&K chapter for sixth
term now .

Married to a Girl from Garyaali family of Rainawari, Srinagar (
His father in law was GM Thappar Mills Punjab ), he lives in Jammu with his
family.

“Theatre
was not a regular activity in Jammu. It had a cost. We would wait for the
Academy festival and keep on practicing . Yes Ram Leela was very well organized
in Jammu. Kot Bhalwal had the oldest Ram Leela Theatre . So was Basholi. Seri
Panditan , a village near Kot Bhalwal has produced many Ram Leela Artists . You
will be surprised to know that Residents of Seri Panditan are actually kashmiri
Pandits who have migrated to this place via Poonch and Akhnoor sometime in 18th
century . Some residents of this place worship Sharda as their kul-Devi. Some
worship Jwala ji of khrew kashmir.This applies to Raina community of Jammu as
well.”

"
As I told you, I have never thought of material comforts , personal favours ,
monetary gains or rewards for my work .Money may come or not, work has to go on
.The river of action has to flow , irrigate and pass on what it brings with
flow. It never looks beyond that .And for me, Nation comes first , both in
thoughts and deeds .That is my belief and conviction."

"
I can't tell you much about everybody connected with Theatre in Kashmir. Yes I
know most of the State level Artists . You See , My karam Bhoomi has been Jammu
and and Punjab. I keep training youngsters from our state . Some of them are
really brilliant and original. They need grooming.They need to remain focused.They
should not run after fame, awards, money or short lived popularity. Theatre can
be their best teacher. And the essence of theatre is struggle. Struggle to be
relevant to your audience. Struggle to remain connected to your audience. Let me
not talk about the monetary struggle. You should remember how Water from all
directions flows towards depth. So they need to create depth in their work, be
patient .Things will travel towards them.Theatre alone can teach them voice
modulation, language skills , body language skills, pronunciation skills and
the skills of dialogue delivery .Remember there is no dubbing or retake in
theatre. "

He
has lived and done theatre in many cities that include Delhi and Mumbai. He has
also worked and done Theatre in many cities of Punjab.A former employee of
TOMCO ( Tatas ) , Malla is totally devoted to his "MONDAY THEATRE" (
NUKKAD ) now. For this he has his own Theatre group known as EK SAATHH RANG
MANDAL or ESRM . In 2915, he was awarded Bhagat Singh Samaan or the prestigious
Uttarakhand Theatre award in a function at Mussoorie.

"
let us meet tomorrow once more. Come tomorrow only as I am going to Banni
(Basholi ) thereafter for about 6 days. Yes NUKKAD. See I am 66.I also have
problems of health.I also have family issues. I also have issues of existence
.This passion for Theatre keeps me going at this age also.. I do not seek
rewards. My work may find no recognition. I am not bothered nor am I going to
stop it. I am really grateful to my people for the love and respect I get from
them.That is my cherished reward in life. Let me sum up this through a couplet
of Jigar Moradabadi..